Car is STILL a slug...

I am not bagging on SN95s, don't get me wrong.
My son's 94 GT vert has just been a gutless slug since we got it, and nothing seems to help. The fact is I KNOW it should run better than it does. Whatever is wrong is probably one of those stupid little things that make you go "DOH!" when you figure it out. I am just tired of trying to figure it out.

I am posting as a rant, sure, but welcome any comments.

I'll post details in the next entry.

We spent all day yesterday tuning it AGAIN, and doing some light modding.
1994 GT vert with AOD and 2.73 gears
Hollow cats, stock headers, MAC flowpath cat-back.
Cold air intake... type with cone filter and aluminum tubing.

Tune:
Plugs gapped at .050" (new Autolite copper)
New cap and rotor
Timing set at 14* (have tried 5* to 20* in past)
New TPS
Clean IAS
Clean EGR
Clean TB
Clean MAF
New ECT sensor
Check throttle blade for 'full open' with pedal
Rebuilt injectors, all working strong with bench test
35 psi fuel pressure at idle, 42 psi with vacuum removed
All cylinders within 10% on both wet and dry compression test
Cleaned air filter
Check ALL visible connections
New PCV

Mods:
Removed GT intake and replaced with factory 94 Cobra (GT40) upper and lower.
Replaced all plastic vacuum lines with new rubber
All rubber vacuum lines replace with new rubber

The result is the car runs better than normal now.
However, it is still unusually slow compared to even my 5000# 5.0 EFI 1990 F150, or my son's Fox body Fairmont with 5.0/AOD/2.73 gears. Our other 5.0s have more power, more torque, snappy throttle response, good idles, good accelleration, good sound. The 94 has NONE of these attributes.
I know it shouldn't be a 'rocket', but it should be better than what it is.

It has soft response, often feels like it holds back when you push the throttle, or sometimes even surges. Sometimes, not everytime, it takes a gulp of air and goes flat when you gas it, then it catches and picks up RPM. Revs are very slow and lazy. Even when it runs perfect, it feels lazy and weak.
The idle goes from silky smooth at times, low and searching, then to a high that doesn't want to settle out. Although, with the intake change, high idling is now less common, so there must have been a small vacuum leak. Now it is more likely to idle lower and lower, then surge up for a second before declining lower and lower again.

Some notes/concerns:
I just don't have any more dough to throw at getting an IAC right now.
I realize that could be one issue, especially with idling, but shouldn't be with the power and throttle response, so in it stays.

I know the gears hurt seat of the pants power, but my son's Fox has the same gears and hauls butt for what it is anyway.

I didn't put the Cobra intake on looking for any power gain. I just got it for future growth and since we were rebuilding the injectors, cleaning the engine, and looking for vacuum leaks, I figured we'd throw it on.

Where is the Baro Sensor on the 94???
I failed to notice that I didn't see the sensor...
Then I jolted awake last night and couldn't sleep good again when I realized I never saw a baro sensor on the car, and on other Fords, the sensor is 'in your face'.
This sensor 'should' have a lot to do with throttle response, as much or more than the TPS, and I totally forgot about it because I couldn't see it.

Can the O2 sensors cause any of this weakness?
They 'looked' good, and are expensive, so they didn't get replaced.
They were replaced about 18 months ago, and the car doesn't get alot of miles.

Fuel filter was replaced about 2 months ago.

Car doesn't smoke anything at anytime.
However, at idle I noticed a potent exhaust odor, beyond normal.
Don't know if it is running rich on the road though. Could just be rich at idle???

Thanks for reading my huge post if you made it this far!
Dave

BIGDATOWN said:

That seems like alot of gap on the plugs. Try .45 and put the timing on 10 degrees exactly!

Click to expand...

I'll give it a try.

I do have my doubts though.
I run .050" gap on all our 5.0s, and 14-16 timing.

Is there a reason those numbers won't work right on an SN 95 vs a Fox or an F150?

Just curious as to the reasoning.